


1 in 8574

by cute moon (tealmoon)



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Ruby & Sapphire & Emerald | Pokemon Ruby Sapphire Emerald Versions
Genre: Gen, Mild Blood, Panic Attacks, Psychological Horror, Video Game Glitches, Video Game Mechanics, parental neglect, possibly eldritch, slight Pokemon Special influences
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-04
Updated: 2020-03-04
Packaged: 2021-02-23 09:02:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23009005
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tealmoon/pseuds/cute%20moon
Summary: It didn't seem possible for such a weak Pokemon to knock out this Ralts in two hits, but there it was, fainted clear as day. Then Wally tossed a Poké Ball anyway and caught... something.The world looks different to Ruby after that.
Relationships: Ruby & Senri | Norman, Ruby & Wally
Comments: 4
Kudos: 30





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The clouds had shifted away in the few minutes he’d been in the gym, and Ruby squinted as he slowly followed Wally through Petalburg. Between the sudden, harsh sunlight and this guy’s chatter, he felt overloaded.

“Your dad’s sooo cool, I can’t believe he let me borrow this. I.... I really respect him, you know? And you too, for helping me catch a Pokémon.” Ruby nodded absently, and Wally looked a little baffled that he didn’t agree or chime in with more praise for Norman, famous Gym Leader and infrequent father. The grass soon stole his attention, though, and Ruby was sure he was thinking what every adult told a kid from the moment they could understand words. _Tall grass isn’t safe if you don’t have any Pokémon to defend you. Stay on the path, or you might get hurt_.

He gave Wally a gentle push forward until his toes inched into the grass. “You’ve got Zigzagoon, so don’t worry. If something approaches, release it and use the attacks Norman— _Dad_ — taught you.”

“Okay!” Wally stood motionless, eyes darting around the grass, clutching the Poké Ball with shivering fingers. It’d be rude to laugh, Ruby reminded himself.

“You can walk around in a circle a little bit. Make some noise and the Pokémon will get curious.”

Pokémon had a tendency to hide whenever you actually wanted them to show up (and swarmed whenever you were dreading a fight), but eventually Wally’s cautious pacing caught some attention. The grass in front of him shifted, and a Ralts poked its head out.

Ruby scanned it from a distance with his Pokedex as Wally sent out his borrowed Zigzagoon. When Wally finished up here, he’d need to come back and look for one himself. He had always been interested in the Ralts line, especially its elegant final evolution. They were a perfect choice for contests.

The Ralts wasn’t putting up much resistance, crying out softly as the Zigzagoon barreled into it. “Norman only gave me the one Poké Ball,” Wally said, chewing on his lip a little. “And the weaker they are, the easier they are to catch, right?” At Ruby’s nod, Wally stood up straighter. “Okay! Zigzagoon, tackle again!”

It had to be a million in one chance that such a weak Zigzagoon could possibly knock anything out in two hits, but as he watched with a sinking feeling in his stomach, the Ralts gently tipped over and collapsed in the grass. He had accidentally fainted more than a few Wurmple before he managed to get his, and he couldn’t imagine how much worse it’d be for someone trying to get their first Pokémon, and such an uncommon one. This Wally kid seemed fragile, so Ruby readied to cheer him on for another try.

Instead, Wally looked _elated_ , hopping up and down. “Look! Look, Ruby, I did it!” Before he had time to remind him that you couldn’t catch knocked-out Pokémon—how sheltered was this kid?—Wally threw a Poké Ball. It didn’t hit the Ralts, luckily, landing a few feet away. It popped open from the force of hitting the ground, rolling on its hinge. It must have clipped a rock or something, because its lid closed once it inched to a stop.

Admittedly, Ruby hadn’t used a lot of Poké Balls yet since he’d only been at this for a few weeks, but even he knew Poké Balls didn’t _do_ that. The pieces split apart if you missed, so you’d have to use another. The Centers all had recycle bins where you could leave the broken ones instead of littering metal all over, and in Petalburg you’d even get a coupon for a half-price ice cream if you dropped off a dozen broken Poké Balls.

Wally hurried over, ignoring the Ralts completely as he snatched up the Poké Ball, holding it close to his chest. It was surprising he didn’t step on the poor Ralts, that was how invisible it was to him. “My first Pokémon,” he whispered. “I can’t wait to show Mr. Norman. Thank you so much!”

Wally marched out of the grass and took a few steps before realizing that he had frozen. “Ruby, aren’t you coming? I want to get back to the gym to show Mr. Norman! And I think I need to sit down pretty soon, so...”

“You go ahead,” Ruby gasped out. “I’ll catch up.”

The excitement clearly tired him out, and Wally’s trudge back into the city was slow. Ruby could have easily overtaken him, to convince him to try again or to stop things before he tried to show his dad an empty ball. But he couldn’t make himself leave. He crouched beside the grass, watching the Ralts for _something,_ anything that might have explained it. Was he going crazy? Was Wally?

He tried to stare without blinking, sure it would vanish if he couldn’t keep his eyes on it. The white of its body, with the sun directly overhead, was nearly blinding, and he could feel sweat trickling down his back despite the mild spring air. Eventually, a second Ralts inched through the grass and lifted up the first. The latter made a little squeak but soon regained enough consciousness to move, the two of them retreating with timid steps before he could get any ideas and try to catch one himself.

They looked and acted real, and he didn’t _feel_ crazy, so... This had to be happening in Wally’s head. Ruby didn’t really know _how_ the guy was sick, only that he was, so Wally’s brain must have hiccuped or something.

He tried to hurry as fast as he could, though his legs shook from crouching so long and he had black spots in his vision. By now Norman must have realized that Ruby had let Wally wander off empty-handed. He could imagine the lectures, which would probably be triple what Dad usually said to him in a month. _This is not how a gym leader’s son carries himself, not everyone gets a starter Pokémon, I expected better from you._ It was possible Wally would get the Zigzagoon instead, since he’d done a pretty good job commanding it for his first time, but Dad would probably insist something like “The catching process is very helpful for bonding with a Pokémon.”

But the gym trainers didn’t give him any looks like they knew he was walking into the storm of his father’s disappointment. All they did was wave him through. He couldn’t hear any shouting through the thin walls either, unless Norman was suppressing it while Wally was around to witness it? Ruby eased open the door, hoping to get a feel for the atmosphere of the room before making himself known.

Wally held a Ralts in his arms. It looked a lot like the fainted one—both had two small horns instead of a large front horn, like most of the species. Maybe it was a more common trait than he’d thought, but...

It wasn’t fainted, all healed up like Wally had ducked into the Center while he had been in a trance, kneeling in that grass. It looked as happy as him, rubbing its head against his chest and making noise. It was the sort of cute thing Ruby usually adored, but he didn’t approach. All of this was weird. If anyone had had a hallucination, it was _him,_ because Dad could see it and even gave it a berry.

The Ralts noticed him first, while Wally and Norman were still talking. It peeked out past Wally’s arm, and though its eyes were hidden, he knew it was staring at him. Their voices slowed and went quiet, as if he was hearing them at half speed from another room.

Ralts could sense the emotions of Pokémon and humans around them. As his vision wavered and doubled, stuck on it, it could tell that he was afraid of it. Ralts and Kirlia were known to try and calm upset people, but this one didn’t move closer or do anything but _watch_. Like it didn’t mind feeling his growing unease. In the microseconds before his burning eyes blinked, it looked like something else, its pastel colors inverting and seeming to overlap the boundaries of its body, like a kid had colored it outside of its lines, barely contained by Wally’s arms—

When he opened his eyes, it was a Ralts again, and the two of them had turned to him.

“There you are, Ruby, I was wondering what took you so long.” Wally sniffled, his smile wobbling. “Thank you so much, both of you. Having a friend when I move away means a lot to me!” The Ralts chirped and reached up to wipe at the tear rolling down his cheek.

“You’re welcome, Wally. Friendship with Pokémon is a beautiful thing.” Norman reached out to pat the Ralts’ head, and Ruby resisted the urge to warn him away even as it cooed and acted like a perfectly normal Pokémon.

It was getting hard to breathe as Wally approached him. “Thank you for teaching me how to catch Pokémon, Ruby. I... I’ll be in Verdanturf soon, so if you pass by on your trip, come visit me. Maybe we could have a battle? Here, give me your number.”

Right as Wally started to look dejected, Ruby managed to force a few words out. “I-I’d like that. Make sure to train, so you can g-give it your all. Or—or maybe we could do a contest.” His ears had started to ring, so he couldn’t tell if Norman sighed in exasperation. Hesitantly, he passed over his PokéNav so Wally could text himself with it.

“Of course!” With one hand still cradling the Ralts, Wally lifted his other and, after Ruby struggled to get his arms in control, gave him a quick fist bump. Wally opened the door and slipped out, right as Ruby stumbled against the wall, his vision going spotty and dark. He attempted a casual lean, but he soon slid down to the floor and rested his head between his knees, close to fainting.

Something was happening to him, if he had almost collapsed, terrified of a cute little psychic Pokémon in the arms of a nice, nonthreatening guy. Maybe the stress of taking on the gym challenge was doing something to his brain.

“Ruby? Ruby, are you okay?” Norman crossed the room to kneel beside him, looking surprised, if not upset. Any other time, he might’ve capitalized on this rare bit of his dad’s attention, but he didn’t want his dad to know he was falling apart before he ever got a chance to compete at this gym. Didn’t want Norman to know he was out of his mind.

“Y-yeah. I think I was out in the sun too long, that’s all. Not enough water and sunscreen.” That wouldn’t have convinced Mom for a second, who knew Ruby would never slip up on something so crucial. Camping or not, he wouldn’t risk acne from dehydration or, even more catastrophic, sun damage to his skin.

Norman didn’t come home enough to know any of that. After calling for one of the trainers to hold down the fort, he helped Ruby up. The dizzy feeling was fading, but not fast enough to stay steady on his feet, so Norman wrapped an arm around him and helped him walk to the Center. Fake sunstroke or not, the air conditioning felt good on his prickled skin. Dad set him out on a bench and even bought a lemonade from the vending machine, cold and solid in his hands. As long as he held onto it, the world felt real, not some fever dream about impossible Pokémon.

It seemed like a dream come true, getting this much attention and care from his father. Was this what Pokémon training earned him?

“How about you take a rest here for a few hours, get hydrated and have something to eat. The gyms aren’t going anywhere, so there’s no need to get sick and burn out.” Which was easy for him to say; _his_ father had been a historian, always at home, and, most importantly, not a looming source of pressure. Celebrity gossip would have a field day about Norman’s own son being a slacker.

He could tell Dad was trying, which made things worse somehow. Norman stuck around for a good two minutes, alternating between watching his phone and Ruby, before he clapped a heavy hand on Ruby’s shoulder. “I’d better get back to the gym, kid. Call me when you get to Rustboro, okay?”

The creepy feeling should have gone away. He finished the lemonade and started another, ate a vending machine lunch, dozed on the padded bench, even asked Nurse Joy to check his blood pressure (normal). Physically, he couldn’t be much better, but his mind kept spinning in circles.

He had seen the Ralts faint. He had seen Wally miss with the only Poké Ball he had. It had turned into something strange for less than a second.

This was all a trick of the light, a hallucination, a tumor pressing on a vital bit of brain. Ruby was obviously cracking under the pressure of being a trainer before he had even earned the first badge.

He couldn’t decide either way, and the only thing that made him feel better was to not think about it at all. Ruby managed to sneak out of Petalburg without running into Wally, shoulders hunched and teeth clenched, until he had waded deep into the woods, where his first glimpse of Team Magma swept Wally out of his mind.

-

Ruby had been examining a row of bicycles, debating on which suited his style better, when his PokéNav buzzed, texts arriving in quick succession. Did someone want a rematch with him? He had been in Mauville for a few minutes at most and a gym to tackle, so he really wasn’t in the mood.

It was Wally, who he hadn’t heard from since Petalburg, now showering him in texts. Not only texts, he realized, staring at the screen. He was sending photos too, like he had just learned that he could and wanted to share everything in one go. The first few were blurry shots of Verdanturf, but the quality improved with each one. A Skitty sunning itself on a rock, a second place contest ribbon. It looked like he was having his own adventure.

Ruby scrolled through the rest idly, wondering how to respond or if he should at all, when he stopped on something that could barely be called a photo. The screen was covered in streaks of unnaturally neon colors, red and green and yellow, and the image was so distorted and pixelated that he couldn’t tell what it was.

He scrolled back up to stop looking at it, and landed on a photo of a slot machine. Wally had taken a beaming selfie with the screen behind him displaying a row of three Lotad.

If he looked out the window of the bike shop, he could see the Game Corner, the only one in Hoenn, the lights on its entrance flashing. Ruby hadn’t been inside yet, saving it as a reward for when he beat the gym, but the slots in Wally’s selfie were unmistakable.

He had no way of knowing when Wally had taken the photo, only that it was one of the most recent. It was possible he’d left Mauville already, but if he was still in the city...

“I-I’ve decided on a Mach bike,” Ruby told the store owner in a shaky, too loud voice. “Black is fine.” Wobbling at first, he pedaled off, soon reaching the bike’s signature speed. He fled to the city’s edge, back to the route he had arrived from, eyes wide and vigilant for a blur of green hair.

By the time he crashed his way through Cycling Road, leaving people shouting advice and reprimands behind him, Ruby felt a little safer, though his lungs burned and his hands shook too much to fold up the bike and put it in his bag.

He’d be safe in Slateport. If he waited a few days, surely Wally would move on from Mauville and Ruby can carry on without running into him. Between the contest hall and the market, it counts as sightseeing, not _stalling_.

The coloring of the distorted photo made him think of Ralts. He couldn’t sleep that night until he’d deleted it.

-

Aside from taking the egg with him on a treadmill, he couldn’t think of much better than the Lavaridge hot spring. The first egg he’d taken there had hatched in a day, so he was sure it’d be perfect for such a stubborn egg. At this point, he wanted to have a full party again as much as he wanted to see a cute baby Pokémon.

“Ruby! Did I finally catch up to you?” He stopped at the entrance, frozen until an older woman shoved at his back and he had to step in proper to let her trudge into the water. His green hair was wilted and he’d taken off his cardigan in the thick heat, but it was definitely Wally. He sat at the edge watching fondly over Pokémon Ruby recognized from his photos. There was a Skitty paddling along, a Magnemite half-submerged, and a Swablu rested on Wally’s head. Floating in the middle of the spring, a Kirlia slowly turned to look up at him. Ruby would’ve expected to get another warped photo of the new evolution, but maybe Wally’s PokéNav had couldn’t handle those weird images anymore.

Ruby clutched the egg to his chest as Wally beamed up at him, not seeming to notice how his Kirlia was... staring. “I got the Balance badge a few days ago, so I’m doubling back for the hot spring, before I move on,” he said, already sweating.

“I’ve been here since this morning. I visited Fallarbor for the Contest Hall, but the ash was really hard on me, even with one of those face masks sold outside town. The steam at this hot spring really helps a lot. How have you been?”

“You’d get more benefit if you actually took a soak, boy,” an old woman told Wally, leaning over the edge of the spring with her chin pillowed on her arms.

“Oh, no, I can’t, ma’am. If I get too overheated, I might faint and might accidentally drown. At least, that’s what my doctor said about hot tubs, so I think this is pretty similar. Are you gonna get in, Ruby? I promise Magnemite is on its best behavior.”

Were Wally’s other Pokémon safe being in the same spring as the Kirlia? (Had he caught those normally?) Were the _people_ safe? They were all elderly...

He definitely wasn’t going to put his egg in the water. What if it hatched wrong, or never hatched at all?

The steam dizzied him, and he sat down on the rocks, worried he might fall and drop the egg. His vision swum as he made eye contact with the Kirlia.

“Ruby? Are you okay?” Maybe the heat was cooking his brain, because the water was starting to tinge green.

No, the heat was definitely baking his brain into gray meatloaf, because _grass_ had started to grow from the bottom of the spring, replacing the water with the tall grass so common in Hoenn. It blew in a nonexistent breeze and continued to steam. It rustled as Wally’s other Pokémon moved through it, and the other people in the spring didn’t seem to notice that they were bathing in grass up to their waists.

The water was still water around the Kirlia, but it looked _strange,_ staticky and purple with little numbers floating on the other surface. Still watching him, it swished a hand around, and the 2s turned into 9s.

“I need some fresh air,” he blurted out, stumbling back to his feet. “See you around, Wally.”

“You don’t have to _leave_ , I’ve only got five, ten minutes left before the heat gets too much. We can catch up and—” Anything else was lost as Ruby raced away from the spring, out of the Center, and then out of Lavaridge entirely on his bike. The egg, safely tucked in his backpack, hatched halfway to Mauville, a little squeaking Vulpix. There didn’t seem to be anything wrong with it, but he kept checking again and again.

-

After facing Groudon, Victory Road didn’t meet its own hype. It wasn’t _easy_ , but some puzzles, rough terrain, and challenging battles couldn’t compare to preventing the end of the world.

In all that chaos, he hadn’t seen or heard from Wally in ages, and he almost succeeded at forgetting about him.

“Ruby! Hi!” Ruby had been so focused on the light of the exit that he didn’t spot Wally, whose dirt-streaked cardigan blended in with the wall. His stomach began to ache.

“It’s been a while, huh. The heatwave was hard on me, so I had to take time off, and _then_ I had to train really hard so I could catch up with you...” He looked to the side, fiddling with the strap of his bag. “A year ago, I would’ve probably stayed in bed for weeks after something like that. I’ve come a long way. And... and I want to show you, since we’ve never had a chance to before. Battle me, Ruby!”

The exit of the cave was right there. If he sprinted, he’d reach it in seconds. “I don’t want to battle,” Ruby whispered, but his hand was already at his belt, selecting his Milotic. Wally must have heard him, from the way his face scrunched up with confusion, but it didn’t seem to matter.

Wally had really come a long way. His team was balanced, his orders were fast-paced, and he didn’t panic when his Pokémon started to faint, or get overconfident when he knocked out one of Ruby’s. It was a proper challenge, up until Wally’s fully-evolved Gardevoir.

For all that its body wavered when he looked at it head on, it fought like a regular, if powerful, Pokémon. His Swampert held her own against it, landing several crucial hits. Ruby allowed himself to be hopeful. No matter what it actually was, it _looked_ like a Gardevoir near fainting. One more attack from Mumu would end everything, but something about the sharp look in its eyes alarmed him.

It began to move before Wally had a chance to command it, launching toward Mumu. It didn’t matter what order Wally was about to shout, mouth seeming to open in slow motion. Ruby was struck with the thought that his Swampert, his _starter_ , was going to die to this final attack, destroyed by a force that went deeper than the strength of a psychic type, or any Pokémon at all.

“Mumu, retreat!” Even as he screamed, he knew there wasn’t enough time for her to get away. Ruby threw himself into the Gardevoir’s path, arms outstretched, shielding his Pokémon. Ready to take the hit.

Gardevoir glided up to him and stopped mere inches away, glaring at him with dead eyes, and Ruby couldn’t look away or move. If he stared long enough, would he see what was faintly squirming in the pink of its irises? The rest of its body began to contort in the periphery.

“Gardevoir...? Hey, back up. What’re you doing?” Maybe the worst part was that it didn’t listen to Wally.

The thing in its eyes was getting bigger or... closer, and his head began to pound in time with its movements. Something barely human in him was certain that it, whatever it was, was going to abandon its Gardevoir facade and _eat_ him. The world was going dim around it, but Gardevoir had never looked brighter or more toxic. Psychic energy crackled around its hands in a color Ruby couldn’t properly identify, that made his eyes sting.

That is, until Wally retrieved its Poké Ball and returned it without ceremony.

The force that had frozen him to the ground suddenly thawed, and Ruby toppled, barely catching himself on hands and knees that tore like paper. He gagged, trying to stop the sudden squirming in his stomach, but nothing came up. His head hurt like someone had driven a handful of nails into it.

Wally stared at him long enough that Ruby was sure he _knew,_ even before he glanced down at Gardevoir’s Poké Ball and dropped it into his bag. Did he think that hiding it out of sight would somehow fix Ruby? When it didn’t, he looked frantic, before he rushed back into the depths of Victory Road, shouting for help. Ruby was surprised he could get that loud.

Everything was blurry and unfocused after that, like Victory Road had been redone in drippy watercolors. Holding his head up started to hurt, and he lurched over onto his side, stone biting into his cheek. It had gotten so close... More than close enough for any of its psychic abilities to have burrowed through Ruby’s brain...

Wally skidded and stumbled his way back with two trainers that Ruby had fought earlier. Though he tried to push them away, he was lifted up to a sitting position that sent a molten line of pain between his eyes. They were talking too fast to keep up with, and one kept trying to push his water bottle into Ruby’s bleeding hands. His fingers were shaking too badly to unscrew the top of it, and he slopped water down his chin and shirt once someone took pity and helped. People kept asking him questions he couldn’t hear over the ringing in his ears.

The rest was a scattering of physical sensations: his knees buckling as someone tried to walk him along with their arm around his waist. The faint spray of water on his face as someone’s Pokémon surfed them along. How shrill the sliding doors sounded. Trying his best to follow a nurse’s finger with his eyes. Somewhere in the middle of prying gravel from his knees, he passed out.

-

Wally was still waiting there when he woke up, curled onto the tiny bedside chair as best he could with his cheek smashed against his shoulder. He’d gone through Victory Road same as Ruby, so no wonder he was exhausted too.

Memory came back slowly, and he could, unfortunately, remember the whole thing. They were in the nurses’ wing of the Pokémon League. And he’d needed a nurse because... of things better not revisited.

His whole body ached, and he was sure the nurse wanted him under observation for another day, but he couldn’t stay in a room with Wally much longer. His eyes kept drifting to the Poké Ball Wally clutched in his sleep, like he’d been fidgeting with it before dozing off. He was sure it contained Gardevoir. From the corner of his eye, it didn’t look much like a sphere anymore—the curves looked wrong, and he didn’t want to count how many corners it seemed to have.

Ruby put on his hat in hasty, quiet movements, grabbed his bag and shoes, and shuffled to the door in socked feet. Wally didn’t shift, even at the faint creak of the door opening, and Ruby slipped out the door and across the hallway to the restroom.

Setting out all his skincare products in neat rows and in order of application, didn’t calm him the way it used to, but his hands had stopped trembling by the time he had cleaned off yesterday’s mess. At least someone had wiped the blood away while he’d been out, so he didn’t look like he’d crawled through a massacre.

With his face bare, Ruby looked tired. He had never developed such deep shadows under his eyes before all this had happened, but they reliably vanished underneath creams and serums. At least he could control this part of himself. Elite Four battles were televised, after all; he couldn’t look messy. The familiar scents made him more alert already, eyelids a little less heavy.

If he defeated the Elite Four, maybe his journey would branch away from Wally’s, and he could finally sever ties between them. Once he won this race to the top, their lives wouldn’t run parallel anymore. He’d have to avoid Wally on the contest circuit, but otherwise, Ruby could escape.

Over his shoulder, he saw a stark white movement in the mirror’s reflection, like the flow of Gardevoir’s skirts.

Ruby jolted into motion, his elbow knocking something off the counter and activating the hand dryer as he whirled around. When he couldn’t back up any farther, the counter a hard line against his waist, Ruby dropped to his knees and huddled under the sink. He had seen how fast Gardevoir had moved during the fight; he couldn’t outrun it himself. The pipes underneath might conceal him... His hand jerked down to the Poké Balls at his belt, but he couldn’t subject his team to that, not again. Not when they were still weak from battle. He doubled over, hoping to protect them.

When he dared to peek out, there was nothing there, just a white stall door drifting open and his sunscreen spinning slowly across the floor. No Gardevoir at all.

“Idiot,” Ruby mumbled to himself. Things were scary enough without inventing more. As he started to crawl out from under the sink, the door opened and a nurse shuffled in, looking around in confusion before she caught sight of Ruby.

“Whatcha doing under there, kid?” she asked, crouching down. Her nametag read _Emma;_ he had been too dazed to notice it yesterday, but he remembered her purple curls.

“Dropped my sunscreen,” Ruby rasped out. “I was picking it up.” He waved the tube at her and tried to give the winning smile he had developed after battling so many reporters.

She stood and helped him up, steadying him until he stopped trembling. “Sure you were. How’re you feeling?” At his shrug, she huffed. “Any headache? Dizziness? Tunnel vision?”

He shook his head, although he had all of the above. If he admitted it, he’d be stuck with bed rest and Wally. “I’m sore and tired, that’s all. I’m fine to leave now.”

“Not yet, you aren’t. You’re a lot more coherent than yesterday, but I still need to check for any lingering problems. Finish up here and we can go start that.”

Luckily, he had only a few more skincare steps to go, and he tried not to rush, despite his shaking fingers and her waiting behind him. “Can we do this in a different room? I don’t want him to wake up,” Ruby whispered, and she led him into a room a few doors away.

He tried to be patient through all of the tests and questioning, but he knew he was running out of time before Wally woke up. He couldn’t help glancing at the door or giving brief answers.

“Are you in that much of a hurry to get to the Elite Four? Even if you’re not showing symptoms, another day of rest would do a lot of good. They’re not going anywhere, and it’s strenuous. You _do_ know that the trainer fainting counts as a forfeit, don’t you? You’d have to do the whole thing over again.”

“I feel fine, I promise. After a bit of breakfast I’ll be ready to battle.”

“You trainers are all the same,” she huffed. “If you have any complications during the Elite Four, you’d better cancel and come back here. But you won’t, will you! I’ve seen people try to go through hiding sprained ankles and broken wrists! It’s not like they’re going to run away.”

Her voice sounded loud enough to stir Wally, even from the hallway, and Ruby expected him to walk out at any moment. “I can’t rest until I try, that’s all. I can heal better when it’s not looming over my head.”

“One try, mister.” Emma pointed a menacing finger at him. “Whether you win or lose, you get one try and then you’re coming back here. I know the guards, I can tell them not to let you in a second time.”

“I know, I know. I promise I’ll be fine.” She walked him back to the lobby, a skeptical look on her face, and wished him luck at the door.

There was no one else waiting there to be first in line for the day. The shop employee was still drinking his coffee as he handed over supplies, amused rather than annoyed at the early start. “Go get’em, kid. Looks like you’ll be first for the day.” While his Pokémon healed, he signed his name at the top of the sheet, his usual loops and flourishes shakier than normal.

“Are you sure?” Nurse Joy asked as she returned his Poké Balls. “Maybe you should get more rest before such a big fight. And some proper food?” He had bought a protein shake from the vending machine, drinking in big gulps to avoid the taste.

“Don’t worry, this is fine. I’m feeling a lot better. Are they already in?” He nodded at the ominous double doors.

“Yep, they’re even earlier birds than you, so you can start whenever you’d like. Good luck!” Once he had confirmed his badges for the last time, he was in, and no one would be able to follow him until he was done, one way or another. Hopefully Wally would wake up, see that he was gone, and head out. Maybe he would feel a little hurt by it, and Ruby would be able to avoid him more easily in the future. It would be a messy, jagged end for a friendship, but he didn’t have any regrets about that anymore.

Were they friends?

-

His legs shook so much that, after a round of handshaking and pats on the back from the Elite Four, Steven walked him out, whispering that it would be a little embarrassing to fall after such an excellent showing. Applause greeted Ruby as he stumbled back into the lobby, Steven’s arm around his shoulders. His eyes caught on his father, leaning against the shop counter and clapping as hard as he could.

Mindless of everyone else in the room, he stumbled forward, reaching out for his dad. “Hey, Ruby. I got here as fast as I could. I missed your first match, but everything else... I’m so proud of you.”

Dad pulled him in for a firm hug. Not a quick bump of chests or a side hug or a quick pat on the back— a full hug, with arms wrapped firmly around him, long enough that he felt safe to clutch at Dad’s shirt and press a cheek to his chest. He didn’t seem to care that Ruby was clammy with sweat, or that they hadn’t hugged like this since he was only tall enough to grab onto Dad’s knee. Defeating the Pokémon League had earned him hugs.

With the adrenaline easing off, things were starting to hurt again, and when Dad squeezed him tighter, Ruby flinched. Dad pulled back to examine him, frowning at the bruises and taking one of Ruby’s hands to trace the edge of a bandage. “What’s all this about?”

“Slipped during Victory Road,” Ruby mumbled. “Not that big of a deal...”

“Still, you should have that looked at before you leave.” He startled at Steven’s voice—he had been so focused on his dad that he had forgotten about the Champion, who stepped closer to pat Dad on the shoulder. “You’ve raised a truly dedicated, brilliant son, Norman. It truly was an honor to battle Ruby.”

There was a moment of still quiet between the two of them to remember that Norman hadn’t done much of any raising, before he shook his head. “I can’t take credit for his accomplishments. Ruby became an excellent trainer through his own efforts.”

“Indeed. Ruby, you have overcome the Elite Four and, in defeating me, can take the role of Champion from me. It would be a partial position, due to your age, but you would have the opportunity to face challengers and participate in the yearly worldwide tournament between champions. It’s a great way to network among top trainers and travel outside of Hoenn.”

Admittedly, he had never thought that far ahead. None of his daydreams had ever involved overthrowing the Champion, and it didn’t seem like that attractive of an idea. Did he really want to spend his training journey on constant alert, waiting to be called back to Ever Grande at any moment?

What he did know was that Wally had his hopes pinned on the Elite Four, and Ruby was willing to sacrifice Steven Stone so he wouldn’t have to face that Gardevoir ever again. He shook his head.

“Aw, are you sure? It’d be really cool to face you when I eventually fight the Elite Four. Uh, no offense Mr. Stone.” Wally’s voice slapped him in the face.

“Y-you’re still here?” He hadn’t gotten bored or dejected like Ruby had hoped, hopping up from one of the couches where he’d apparently been watching one of the mounted TVs.

“Yeah! I can’t believe you took on the whole Elite Four when you were all banged up _and_ so early in the morning. I missed the first few minutes against Sidney, but I called Mr. Norman the second I realized you were battling.”

The pounding in his head returned, and Ruby pressed closer to his dad, face buried against his jacket and he tried to hide behind Norman. He closed his eyes in hopes Wally would wander off if ignored.

“Heh, not up for conversation? You’ve had a long day and it’s barely 9 a.m. Don’t mind him, Wally.” Dad squeezed him against his side. Ruby mumbled an affirmative. “Are you going to test your skill next?” Norman asked, gesturing at the doors, but he shook his head.

“I couldn’t beat Ruby, so I think I’ve got a long way to go. Someday I’ll be up here, trying it myself, but not today. I’m not ready yet.” Was he thinking that, with enough training and contests and Pokéblocks, he could control that nightmare?

Wally stepped forward. Ruby didn’t know his intentions, but it might have been something as innocent as a high five, or a photo taken together. The _why_ didn’t matter, and he flinched.

When he got home, Ruby was going to block Wally’s number. Or get a restraining order. Or move to Sinnoh.

Norman tugged him back, planting his own bulk more thoroughly in the way. “Let us know. We’ll come spectate when you do.” His voice was cheerful, even as he shielded Ruby.

Maybe a part of Dad knew what they were dealing with, somewhere deep in his subconscious. Wally had battled him for a Balance badge, so he would have faced the Gardevoir. How many of the trainers in Wally’s way had noticed there was something wrong? Maybe everyone in Victory Road had been left a little haunted now, more disturbed than at the start. And the gym leaders, and anyone who had been unfortunate enough to make eye contact with Wally—

He couldn’t breathe, so suddenly that it was like his lungs were full of concrete. The sound of his gasping soon drowned out everything else, even the sudden pounding of his heart, ready to tear out of him. His eyes blurred with tears that scalded his cheeks.

If he had done something at the very beginning, maybe he could have prevented it all. He was the one person who really understood, and here he was, doing nothing about it, letting Wally run wild over Hoenn, the region he had fallen in love with. It would only get worse, and now there wasn’t any way to stop it. He couldn’t _breathe...!_

His dad’s voice seemed to reach him from very far away. “Ruby? Kid, what’s wrong, does something hurt—” He didn’t wait for an answer, bundling his son up in his arms. He rested his cheek above his dad’s heart and let crying overtake him. “Sorry, Wally, I’m gonna get this guy back to the nurses. I think the adrenaline’s worn off. Good luck on your training.” Any answer Wally gave was unheard under Ruby sobbing.

It was the strain from being overexcited, everyone told him. Dad held onto his hands while the bandages were peeled free and replaced, and Steven came in to give more congratulations, and Emma brought out a therapy Skitty that wiggled into his arms, but he still couldn’t stop crying. His breathing and heart calmed as Sprinkles the Skitty purred against him, but the tears remained until people murmured in concern about dehydration and kept pushing cups into his hands.

His mom arrived and helped shoo away the reporters and paparazzi crowding the lobby. Someone brought him lunch and promised it was bland, it won’t hurt your stomach, try a little? He laid his head down and pretended to sleep so no one would talk to him anymore, Sprinkles held close.

There was something wrong with the world, sweet and determined Wally from Petalburg City was letting it run free, and there was nothing Ruby could do about it.

**Author's Note:**

> The title is the probability of Ralts fainting during the RSE capture tutorial, according to Bulbapedia which I owe my life to. In the games, everything proceeds as normal, but it seemed like it could turn real spooky. 
> 
> I know this isn't Undertale, but I've really really wanted to explore ideas around game mechanics in Pokémon, so I'm likely to post some of that in the future. (*•̀ᴗ•́*)و ̑̑ Better than.... not writing at all because I've been depressed....


End file.
